I'm pleased that my cats just aren't body-heat vampires. Sometimes they actually prefer my lap to the electric blanket. That blanket doesn't have hands.

Closing in Washington too. Haggen claims that one contribution to the closing is cheating by Albertson's. Haggen claims that when Alberston turned over the purchased stores to Haggen that they lied about the prices they had previously charged, giving Haggen inflated data. So when people came into the stores that had been Albertons and were now Haggen, they saw a sudden price hike while Haggen was avertising price cuts. Also Haggen claims that inventory was transferred from the stores they purchased after the purchase but before they took possession - which would be outright theft if true. We won't know how factual that is until the court battle is settled.

Even if these claims are true, and I personally lean towards believing them, Haggen also took over the stores with insufficient capital to carry out the expansion successfully. The alleged dishonesty by Alberton's should not have been quite so fatal a blow in an edequately financed retail chain.

(Note both Haggen and Alberton's have parent companies - but I don't feel like googling them, so am using brand rather than actual corporate names.)

All the Albertson's stores in this area closed a decade or two ago in some corporate reorg, I think that's what the big empty spot across from Raleys used to be. It's been empty as long as I've lived here but when there's stuff like Xmas tree sales in the parking lot they call it the old Albertson's parking lot (there are smaller stores in the strip, including a Walgreens and Starbucks, so the whole thing is not deserted, but it's kind of dominated by the empty space). Or maybe Lucky's, but I'm pretty sure Lucky's was bought by Albertson's at some point. I can't keep track, I still have Skaggs-Albertson's as a thing in my head and that hasn't been right for ages. They are always buying and selling each other and changing names and rebranding.

In any case, it sucks to have your nearest grocery store disappear and having a big empty building isn't good.

Oddly, I just realized that cinnamon brooms may actually get me to TJs tomorrow, even though the holiday cookies wouldn't have.

Exactly what went through my head at sarameg's post.

Nanita, we plan to, but I will also take any and all other suggestions!

I've never heard of Haggens!

The neighbors chicken is crowing. Wtf.

Hooray for Chile!

This morning I remembered that I have semolina and it can be made into porridge. I have been in a porridge-y mood for days, so that hit the spot.

What's a cinnamon broom?

Man, I really have to get to TJs soon.

They have brooms (and small brushes) scented with cinnamon that makes your space smell good.

Timelies all!

The Giant branch that was about 2 blocks from us closed a couple years ago.(It wasn't our primary supermarket, but was good for picking stuff up after work.) Nothing replaced it, and a few more businesses in that strip mall closed. Last thing I heard, the owners of that space were trying to get permission to demolish the building, and turn the space into townhouses.

I've always found cinnamon brooms to be overwhelming. I've been known to flee stores that have large displays of them.